It is known to attach a message, including an animated message, to an email transmission in order to communicate the message to an intended recipient. For example, at www.hallmark.com a user can click on an electronic card link in order to transfer to a web page showing representations of a plurality of cartoons. The user selects a cartoon by clicking on it and instructions are provided to assist the user in getting the cartoon to load and display. The user can insert a personal message in the email along with a link to the cartoon.
The user is permitted to load and display the cartoon prior to transmitting it to the recipient. When the email is transmitted to the recipient, the recipient can read the personal message and click on the cartoon to initiate a load and display of the cartoon. Clicking on the cartoon causes the browser of the recipient to load and link to a web site where the animation files for displaying the cartoon are located. The software for processing the animation files and displaying the cartoon to the recipient is located at the recipient location. The Hallmark method includes transmitting a notice to the user that the recipient has received and opened the message.
bluemountain.com also teaches a method wherein a user selects an electronic card from a plurality of provided cards by clicking on one of a number of displayed cards. The cards provided by the bluemountain.com method include greeting cards and cards directed to a variety of special interests such as sports, art, literature, games and business.
The bluemoutain.com cards correspond to animated presentations having associated animation files. The user designates a recipient of the card as well as a sender. Optionally the user can provide a personal message for the recipient by inserting the personal message in the card. The card is transmitted by way of email to the recipient by clicking on a send button. Additionally, users are permitted to enclose their own voices, photos or animations within the card.
When the bluemountain.com email arrives at the recipient end a view card field is displayed. Clicking on the view card field causes a browser to load and link to a web site. In response to a click by the recipient the recipient is provided with a display of the animated cartoon selected by the user. The animation files are stored at the web site and the software for loading and displaying the animation files is located at the recipient location.
Typically the creative process for providing the animations of the prior art electronic messaging methods includes developing a message concept and story boarding it in order to express the message. The story boards are animated using well known animation or graphics programs. The animation technology used typically includes audio, animated sequences and text content.
It is also known to perform business communications using electronic messaging methods. In this application a management message is communicated to an employee or a trainee using electronic transmission in order to educate the recipient of the message. One known provider of such a business communication method is Intraca, Inc.
Intraca, Inc provides a business communication method wherein numerous comics drawings are associated with motivational quotations and provided to users in predetermined associated pairs. The drawings and quotations can be selected from various commonly available publications prior to being associated with each other. The stated goals of the Intraca Inc. method include helping to improve corporate communications.
To use the Intraca, Inc. method a user clicks on an icon displayed on a user home page and thereby accesses a link to a web page provided by Intraca, Inc. This launches a pop-up window that displays the comic and quotation posted by Intraca, Inc. for the current day at the recipient location. The choice of the comic and quotation can be customized.
Thus, using the Intraca, Inc. method users can provide recipients with business messages without creating the messages themselves and without building the overall presentation around the messages, thereby making it convenient to send such messages. Furthermore, since the associated drawings and quotations can be reviewed by the users, the Intraca, Inc. method is adapted to permit convenient preview of alternate content by users and to permit selection of content before it appears on their intranet.